mainly adapted from the green roasting tin – rukmini iyer – quantities to serve 4

cous-cous
200g cous-cous in a bowl, add 250 ml boiling veg stock and cover with a plate and leave to stand for 5 mins – fluff up with fork

quinoa
rinse well, use 240g and 500ml boiling veg stock in a saucepan, bring to the boil, then half cover and simmer for 15 mins until all the water has been absorbed
turn off the heat and let steam through for 5 mins

farro
farro is like spelt or pearl barley but is much quicker to cook
put 200g in a large pan of boiling water and simmer for 10 mins or so, drain well and serve

basmati rice
best to cook perfectly in a microwave:
300g basmati rice rinsed well in water placed in a dish/bowl having a lid with 600ml boiling water
cover the bowl with the lid and microwave for 13 minutes on medium power, leave to stand for 10 minutes

brown/wild/mixed rice
300g rice placed in a large pan of boiling, salted water and simmer for 40 minutes until cooked through and al dente, drain well and serve

pasta
(just follow normal instructions)

naan / shana parathas
(just follow normal instructions – naans are typically in the oven although parathas can also go in for 5 minutes, but normally they are best ‘griddled’)